Preview: Northwestern at Indiana

[February 25, 2017]  SportsDirect Inc.

With only three games remaining in the regular season, the pressure is mounting for Northwestern as it seeks its first NCAA Tournament berth. And the Wildcats have been shaky of late, dropping four of their last six contests entering Saturday night's game at Indiana.

Two of the losses in that span have come against a middling Illinois squad, which has gone 4-9 against the rest of the Big Ten. On Tuesday, though, in Champaign, Northwestern shot 32.1 percent from the field and was outrebounded 42-30 in scoring a season-low 50 points. "We didn't have the fight that we normally have," Wildcats coach Chris Collins said in his post-game news conference. "... It's not a marathon (though) anymore, and I hope our guys are excited about that." Injury-riddled Indiana, meanwhile, is reeling after a strong start which featured wins over potential No. 1 NCAA seeds Kansas and North Carolina and has dropped five straight and seven of its last eight to tumble to 13th place in the 14-team Big Ten.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (20-8, 9-6 Big Ten): Points have been hard to come by of late for the Wildcats, who have failed to reach 70 in their last seven outings. Guards Scottie Lindsey (14.5 per game) and Bryant McIntosh (14.0) and forward Vic Law (12.9) are averaging double figures, but Northwestern ranks among the league's bottom five in overall scoring (72.1), field goal percentage (42.9) and 3-point accuracy (34.4 percent). The Wildcats, though, rank first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (39.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) while surrendering only 64.8 points per contest.

ABOUT INDIANA (15-13, 5-10): Conference regular-season champs a season ago, the Hoosiers have been stung by the season-ending injuries suffered by forwards Collin Hartman and OG Anunoby and are on track for their worst Big Ten finish since a last-place, 3-15 season in 2010-11. Guards James Blackmon Jr., (17.0 points) and Robert Johnson (13.4) and center Thomas Bryant (13.1) are the leading scorers, while guard Josh Newkirk is averaging a team-best 3.2 assists and Bryant is the top rebounder with 7.1 per outing. Indiana leads the conference in scoring (81.5), field goal percentage (48.6) and rebound margin (plus-8.3 per game) but is last in turnover margin (minus-3.5) after giving the ball away 22 times in a 96-90 overtime loss at Iowa on Tuesday.

TIP-INS

1. Indiana has won five of the last eight meetings, but Northwestern won 68-55 at home on Jan. 29.

2. McIntosh scored 21 points and had eight assists to pace the Wildcats in the first game while Bryant had 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Hoosiers.

3. The game marks Senior Night for Indiana, and Hartman, who suffered a knee injury before the season, is the lone senior on the roster.

PREDICTION: Indiana 73, Northwestern 71

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